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Best Tent Camping near Lake Mills, WI

672 Reviews

State parks and wildlife areas surrounding Lake Mills, Wisconsin offer several tent camping options with varying levels of amenities and seclusion. Sandhill Station State Campground in the Lake Mills Wildlife Area provides 15 walk-in tent sites set in an oak savanna landscape, with sites located 100-500 yards from the parking area. Nearby, KMSF Shelter 1 Backpack Site offers a more remote backcountry tent camping experience with hike-in access. For tent campers seeking water views, Cappie's Landing provides boat-in and walk-in tent sites, while Little Turtle Lake offers five primitive tent campsites with basic amenities.

Most tent-only campgrounds in the Lake Mills region feature dirt or gravel pads with minimal grading. Sandhill Station's walk-in sites require campers to carry all gear from the parking lot without cart assistance, making lightweight packing essential. Pit toilets are standard at most primitive tent campgrounds, though shower facilities are typically absent. Seasonal considerations affect site conditions, with one camper noting that summer visits bring heavy mosquito activity near stagnant water. Fall and spring offer more comfortable tent camping conditions with fewer insects. Firewood is available at some locations but must be purchased locally for others to prevent the spread of invasive species.

The wooded settings of walk-in tent sites provide natural screening between campsites, enhancing privacy for tent campers. According to reviews, Sandhill Station offers "spacious, private, and beautiful" tent sites with oak trees providing mixed shade. One visitor reported that the campground is "a nice choice if you want a private, quiet getaway into the oak savanna of southern Wisconsin." The KMSF Shelter 1 Backpack Site provides "very secluded privacy" with a fire pit and picnic table, making it ideal for backcountry tent camping enthusiasts. Most tent campgrounds connect to trail systems, with Sandhill Station located directly off the Glacial Drumlin bike trail, allowing tent campers to combine cycling with their camping experience.

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Best Tent Sites Near Lake Mills, Wisconsin (10)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Lake Mills, WI

672 Reviews of 10 Lake Mills Campgrounds

  • Cristina S.
    Aug. 31, 2018

    Blue Mound State Park Campground

    Clean and Modern

    Campsites, trails and facilities were immaculate. Staff was friendly. drive in and hike in sites available. great for families; trails have info markers to educate hikers on geology and flora of area. Drive in campsites had fire rings and picnic tables, vault toilets available.

  • Josh F.
    Sep. 21, 2020

    Blue Mound State Park Campground

    Close to Madison, near Military Ridge Trail, Some sites are Far, Far Away

    I spent two nights in the campground at Blue Mound State Park. Overall, the park has well-maintained hiking and MTB biking trails, extraordinarily clean and well-kept vault toilets, and ample access to drinking water. Both tent and RV/camper sites are on a typical one-way road pattern with a couple of loops there are plenty of sites with and without electricity. At the time I was there, the camp host sold high-quality hard wood for $5/bundle from a trailer on the honor system, so if you run out in the middle of the night, wood was easy to replenish. One of the park's highlights are lookout towers with views above the treetops, Unfortunately in 2020 both were closed, presumably because it would be difficult to keep a safe distance from others when on the stairs or while at the top. Pity, it'll be a reason to return. Still, there are several observation areas that are maintained well enough to keep the undergrowth from blocking the view of the Wisconsin River Valley nearly 15 miles to the north. This is where the "Blue Mound" name must come from, the hills at that distance did have a bluish cast to them.

    If you've read any of my other reviews you know what's next, my list of the best campsites. While I've visited several parks now that have "walk in" sites, with cars parked a minute or two from the campsite, about a dozen sites in Blue Mound State Park take "walk in" to a new level. Cars can drive to a barrier across the road, and the sites are a 10-15 minute walk downhill, The park provides ONE medium-sized cart (250 lb weight limit, 20-minute use limit) that I guess would be in high demand during load in and load out. (NOTE TO SELF, camp Thursday through Monday if going here, or arrive EARLY to get a cart). Most of these sites are quite sunny; 105 is nice and shady and private, 106 slightly shaded 109 and 110 are shaded, very close to one another and would be good for a group camp setup 111 is quite shady. There's water and toilets in the walk-in camp ground. You'd want to sip wood for campfires and cooking, the nearest source is a 15-minute walk uphill and back, and then if using the cart, you have to return it for another round trip.

    Back in the family campground where mortals and RVs park, I think the following are the nicest in terms of shade, level, size and privacy.

    42, 45, 47, 51, 64, 66, 69, 71, 73

  • Josh F.
    Dec. 29, 2020

    New Glarus State Park Campground

    Small, close to 2 busy roads - there are nicer options in Southern Wis.

    Throughout the summer of 2020, I camped at a number of Wisconsin state parks in the southern part of the state but hadn't gotten to camp at this one yet. While driving through the area I visited the park in December- photos won't show its summertime beauty but my walk through the park identified some ideal spots for camping. 

    The state park is open year-round, camping open May - October. The first thing I visited were the walk-in campsites. There is a loading zone parking lot with limited time parking. Access to the 14 walk-in sites is via a single trail with campsites on either side of the trail. There is a decrepit but functional pit toilet. All the walk-in sites have a picnic table and each is tucked off the trail into the woods.

    The downside to the walk-in sites is their proximity to a major highway. While walking through the campground I could easily hear the road noise. If I were looking to get away from civilization, or at least pretend to be far away from it all, that road noise would be a constant reminder that I wasn't. The further down the walk-in site trail I got, the closer I got to the highway and in fact, car headlights showed right up the trail as I was approaching the last set of campsites.

    When looking at a map and choosing a site, the walk-in campsites on the same side of the trail as the toilet are a little more private and secluded, and back up to expansive woods. The sites on the other side of the trail are nice but they are a little closer to the freeway and don't have as much forest coverage behind the campsites. The furthest walk-in site is at least a 4-minute (slightly downhill) walk from the parking lot. The centrally-located restroom is no more than 2 minutes from any of the walk-in campsites. Sites are between 40 and 1,000 feet from the walk-in loading zone.

    If walking to your campsite isn't your thing there is also a family campground with 17 drive-in (not drive through) sites located along a typical one-way paved road system. Unfortunately, this side of the state park is bordered by a different and only slightly less traveled road than the walk-in sites. Some campsites are sandwiched between the loop road and the main road, are lit by nighttime traffic headlights lights. As the campground road continues toward the group campground it veers away from the main road and offers a bit more privacy. These are the sites I'd select if I were to camp here.

    Of the group campsites, 55 and 56 are in a nicely wooded area with shade. 52 53 and 54 are in an open area with no shade. The family campground is serviced by two pit toilets centrally located to the campsites.

    Due to the very small size of this state park, lack of much to do except one hiking trail through it, and proximity to two main roads, I would not recommend the state park. There are many others in southern Wisconsin that have far more to offer. 

    Seriously, if you're looking for a Wisconsin state park in this neck of the woods, check out Yellowstone Lake or Blue Mound State Park instead. See my review of the latter for specific spots that would be awesome for tent camping.

  • Sarah W.
    Nov. 26, 2018

    New Glarus State Park Campground

    Nice weekend in the woods near Madison

    Note - this review is for the walk-up sites only This is our go-to campground when we decide we want to go camping with short notice. The park itself is neither very popular nor very interesting, so there are usually still sites available for reservation only a few days before your intended camping trip. The park itself isn't that interesting, but it is worth noting that it is located across the road from New Glarus Brewery. The brewery is an easy walk or bike ride from the walk-in campsites.

    We have camped at several of the walk-in sites. The sites are all located along the bike trail, and carts are available for transporting your gear which means you can bring more gear than you would bring backpacking. The walk-in sites have a good amount of space between each site, however the sites on the east side of the bike trail get less level the further you get from the parking lot. All sites are shaded and have fire pits and picnic tables. The sites on the west side of the trail are more level but closer to the trail, so you have less privacy from passers-by. Our personal favorite site is #19. It is the closest site to the parking lot on the east side of the trail, but you have to take a short foot-path off the main trail to get to the site and the site itself can't actually be seen from the trail or the parking lot. This makes it very quiet and private, but still not too far from your car. The campgrounds do have a lot of raccoons so it is nice to be within an easy walk of your vehicle if you would prefer to secure your food. Site 19 is also very level and spacious, with plenty of room for at least two good sized tents. You can hear some road noise in all of the walk-in sites due to the highway being near by, but it's buffered a bit by the woods so it is more of a white noise.

    The walk-ins have a vault toilet centrally located along the trail, and it has always been clean whenever we've camped there. A water spigot is also located centrally among the walk-in sites. You can take a short hike to the park's ampitheater from the walk-in sites, but they do not have programs very often.

  • Christopher R.
    Feb. 26, 2025

    Sugar River Forest Preserve

    Beautiful Place to Camp

    We had a great time in this hidden gem.  It is run by the county and was much more than we expected from a county run facility.  We had a very nice cam site that allowed us to pull through with our pop up.  There are very tall trees around the entire campground giving you some respite from the sun and the heat.  The bath house is easily within walking distance from anywhere in the campground.  Many people that we met have been coming back for years (this was our first time there).  They have fire rings and picnic tables and firewood for sale at the entrance.  They allow dogs and the ranger is frequently visible throughout the day.  You are a short distance from the river and the surroundings are wonderful.  You are 20 minutes away from stores and restaurants if you happen to need them and also a short drive to Wisconsin.

  • Griffin K.
    Oct. 4, 2020

    Blue Mound State Park Campground

    A+ camping experience

    Tl;dr: shower house is great. Nice campers, rangers and camping vibes. Go to Blue Mounds Grocery on the way in. easy access to hiking, mountain biking, and running trails - including Military Ridge Trail.

    Camped here with 2 friends during a cross country road trip. We had site 5 and were tent camping. When we showed up it was raining and it was unseasonably cold, but other campers in adjacent sites looked like they were having a great time - lots of family groups. This kept our spirits high as we set up camp, made a fire, and made dinner. The site was standard with a big picnic table, tent platform, fire pit, and room for our car. The bathroom and shower house was a really great amenity and there were spots for cars to drive over there if their spots were far. A very nice camp ranger came by to say hi and let us know that campers are expected to quiet down at 9ish and not be cognizant of that. Campers were being respectful of socially distancing and wearing masks for the most part. Seems like there is a great bike/hiking trail network all around. A couple of us are runners also a friend from Madison met us and we ran on the military ridge trail in the morning. There is very easy access to that. Also, insider note, on the way in, go to blue mounds grocery for anything you need (esp firewood). The cash register gave us some great camping advice.

  • Josh F.
    Dec. 3, 2020

    Hebron Campground

    Small, Tidy with Lots of Waterworks

    This is a relatively small, private campground mostly for RVs though there are some very nice sites that would be lovely for tents. There are a dozen tent sites that back up to a very charming river, each one has a picnic table and fire pit. The view of the river from these sites is lovely. Adding to the waterworks, there is a cute pond with a charming fountain in the center of the RV sites, and a nice horseshoes pit. There are a number of RV sites with full hookups. 

    I spoke with the owner and they did not have tent camping in 2020. They were worried about people in too close proximity in the restroom. In 2020 they only allowed RVs that had their own restroom facilities. The owner told me that maybe there will be tent camping in 2021.

  • Renee R.
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Brigham Park

    Nice spot for summer camping.

    I've visited this campground twice and it's been a hit both times.

    Pros:

    - Scenic overlook is gorgeous.

    - The dense tree cover and near-constant slight breeze help to both keep this campground cool and the mosquitos at bay.

    - Well-kept vault toilets.

    - Close to a many points of interest.

    Cons:

    - Some of the sites are strangely graded and situated.  One site near ours had the fire pit at the very edge, making sitting around it virtually impossible.  14 was a pretty site but had a large tree in the middle of it.

    - Using the County website to reserve the site was clunky and time consuming.

  • Renee R.
    May. 9, 2025

    Ledge County Park

    Great park, decent camping

    The park is very pretty.  Walking along the trails, you can see where it gets its name!  Lots of cool ledges and rock outcrops.  We saw a moderate amount of birds and heard a bunch of critters (owls, a fox (?!)) one night.

    We camped at non-electric site J.  It was nice and big.  We originally were to be at site G but it was way too small to fit our cars, tents, etc.

    Pros:

    - Quiet and decently spaced sites.

    - Clean vault toilets.  Did not use the shower house/other facilities.  

    - The firepits are flush with the ground and have cooking grates.

    - Easy access to trails.

    Cons:

    - I'm not a trailer camper, but if I were I would not appreciate the vibes of the electric sites.  The sites are very close together and walking through it felt like going through a festival or circus more than a campground.

    - The firewood was a bit pricey compared to other parks.

Guide to Lake Mills

Tent camping around Lake Mills, Wisconsin presents opportunities for nature immersion at various state parks and wildlife areas within 30 miles of town. The region features glacial terrain with drumlins, kettles, and moraines formed during the last ice age. Sites in this area range from primitive backcountry to rustic campgrounds with basic amenities, most situated between 800-900 feet elevation with moderate temperature swings between day and night.

What to do

Trail access opportunities: Sandhill Station Campground connects directly to the Glacial Drumlin bike trail, allowing campers to combine cycling with camping. According to Jimmy P., "Sandill Station is right outside Lake Mills, WI, right off the Glacial Drumlin bike trail... overall, the campground is a nice choice if you want a private, quiet getaway into the oak savanna of southern Wisconsin."

Local brewery visits: New Glarus State Park Campground offers camping within walking distance of New Glarus Brewery. Paige J. notes, "Would highly recommend checking out the New Glarus brewery as well as it's one of the cleanest, and most impressive breweries I've been to yet. The amount of copper in the brewery was truly breath taking."

Historic site exploration: Several campgrounds provide access to Aztalan State Park and Museum. "Nearby is Aztalan State Park and Aztalan museum. The state park is beautiful grassland and prairie, and the Crawfish River flows along side the park. There are hiking trails as well as guide tour booklets," shares Jimmy P. from Sandhill Station.

Water recreation: Snug Harbor Inn Campground on Turtle Lake offers opportunities for fishing and boating. Kevin C. reports, "They have on site bathrooms and showers. Electric, water and sewer hookups. They also have tent sites." Another camper mentions the campground "sells ice, firewood and rents boats."

What campers like

Private, secluded sites: KMSF Shelter 1 Backpack Site receives praise for its seclusion. Erin Z. writes, "Great backpack camp site. Decent walk and terrain to get to the site. There is an open shelter to put your tent if you prefer to outside... It's very secluded for privacy."

Well-spaced walk-in sites: New Glarus State Park's walk-in sites offer more privacy than drive-up options. Shelagh R. notes, "Although the park is tiny and you can't really escape the sound of the road, the walk-in sites are spaced out well and heavily wooded. Perfect for a quick escape from city life."

Structured camping levels: Campers appreciate the terraced design at Snug Harbor Inn Campground. Alix M. describes it as a "Great three tiered camping spot. Full hookup, and great views." Josh F. elaborates: "The property is basically terraced along a slope down to the lake... The tent sites are above it all with decent views of the lake below."

Wilderness camping experience: Backcountry sites offer more authentic outdoor experiences. Erin Z. shares that at KMSF Shelter 1, "There is a fire pit, but we found our own wood around the site. (Bring a small axe). There is an outhouse, but I wouldn't recommend using it. There is a picnic table and a bench."

What you should know

Bug considerations: Plan for mosquitoes, especially in summer near water. One Sandhill Station camper warns, "The sites are really near some stagnant water, though, so WAY too many mosquitoes, even with the really intense bug spray. We were there in mid-June on one of the hottest weekends of the year and we were massacred."

Seasonal timing matters: Consider camping in spring or fall for the best experience. The same Sandhill Station reviewer suggests, "I do believe these would be lovely sites in the fall or Spring, though." Jimmy P. confirms: "I wouldn't go in the middle of summer, due to the limited shade, but it was very nice in early fall."

Highway noise considerations: Devils Lake State Park Group Campground and New Glarus sites experience road noise. Katie K. cautions about New Glarus: "These sites are right next to the highway and are subject to continuous, round the clock highway noise. The highway seems to be a regular truck route, with lots of semis driving by at all hours."

Toilet facilities vary widely: Most primitive sites have vault toilets, which can be problematic. Kate B. notes about New Glarus Woods: "The outhouses are in need of some TLC or just a once through with a leaf blower... vault toilets. I would have thought they updated these by now. Creaky wood doors, BRIGHT lights, and always buggy."

Tips for camping with families

Pack for gear transport: Sandhill Station State Campground requires carrying equipment to sites. Tawnie T. advises, "Beautiful walk in sites, no carts to haul gear so pack light!" This means bringing only essential items for children.

Consider group sites for multi-family outings: Devils Lake offers spacious group sites ideal for multiple families. Jon D. shares, "Reserved the group camp for three families, cost was $40 a night for a secluded, spacious, clean group site."

Look for playgrounds: Some campgrounds include play areas for children. Kim L. mentions Wild Goose City Park has "a playground and public bathroom, drinking fountain. Plenty of space to spread out for a picnic when you're biking through."

Choose cooler months with kids: For tent camping with children, avoid peak summer. Charles M. recounts, "Spent a weekend here in one of the group sites (G3) in mid November 2021. It was in the 30s at night but got up to the high 40s during the day, great camping weather!"

Tips from RVers

Limited full-hookup options: Little Turtle Lake and similar primitive campgrounds near Lake Mills generally lack RV hookups, with just 5 primitive tent sites at Little Turtle Lake.

Consider terraced campgrounds: Snug Harbor offers RV sites with lake views on its terraced design. Carole X. describes: "Beautiful views overlooking Turtle Lake. Friendly and helpful staff." James W. adds, "Set up went well, didn't blow anything up! Yea! Staff was great, helped me back in."

Reserve well in advance: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially on weekends. Jeffery S. notes about Snug Harbor: "Full weekend but very quiet and relaxing. Staff very nice."

Mixed-use camping areas: Many sites accommodate both tents and RVs with varying levels of amenities. Josh F. observes that Snug Harbor is "primarily an RV/mobile home campground, but there are some nicely tucked away tent camp sites," suggesting RVers should be prepared to share facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lake Mills, WI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake Mills, WI is Sandhill Station State Campground — Lake Mills Wildlife Area with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lake Mills, WI?

TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Lake Mills, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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